Heart of Steel

Creativity has always been a way of life for Arlene Abend, a fiery-spirited 86-year-old who won't let anything stop her from sculpting and welding - not even surgery. After going in for a routine doctor visit in June, she was swept into a whirlwind of diagnostic tests, overnight stays and eventually, open heart surgery. Finally back home after a three-month hospital stay, she already has two commissioned sculptures lined up. And even though she is still recovering, she refuses to be held back. ¬¬